Dancing with Artem Chigvintsev: Part 1

20

"Are you ready to go?" Artem called out to me. "Come on! Our reservations are for 6:30."

I hurried down to him and out the door we went.

Artem handed me a helmet.

"What is this for?" I asked laughing. "You know I don't like motorcycles."

"Your going to ride on the back of it." He said "it's so smooth out on the roads, and I know how to handle a Harley, you would never get hurt."

I decided that it was best if I trusted him and lived on the wild side. I do trust him with my whole heart, so it made it easier to get myself to go through with it.

I held on to him as if my life depended on it, which it kinda did. To my surprise he drove around the city before going to the restaurant.

"Artem!" I said "we're going to be late and this isn't funny I'm terrified back here."

"To hell with the reservations." He laughed.

"Where are we going then!" I said beginning to feel sick.

"Relax!" He yelled over the wind. "We're on our way to the restaurant right now."

I closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths and let the cool end of summer breeze gently blow across my face through my helmet.

'We're almost there' I kept repeating in my head.

When we finally arrived at the restaurant, only a 10 minute drive from Artem's place, 35 minutes had gone by and I was still a nervous wreck.

"Emma?" Artem laughed. "We are parked, you can let go now."

I realized that I still had my arms around him, squeezing him so tight he couldn't breathe.

"Sorry!" I yelled as I let go.

Artem swung his leg around to get off the bike and then picked me up off the back and set me down on the ground as if I were a little kid that needed assistance.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" He said taking the helmet off of my head to reveal my pouting face.

He laughed harder than ever and then kissed me.

"You are something, you know that. Your so strong, and nothing ever gets in the way of you wanting to do something, yet your afraid of a motorcycle." He hugged me "your safe, ok."

"You're forgetting that I am a tad bit dramatic sometimes." I said

"Just a tad?" He laughed.

He secured the helmets to the back of the bike and locked everything up and then put his arm around me, leading me into the restaurant. I still can't help but feel sad that all of my friends couldn't make it to celebrate my birthday tonight with me but I am very excited to have a romantic birthday dinner with Artem.

The hostess led us to a room towards the back, somewhere I have never been seated and opened up a wide set of double doors.

"Surprise!" Voices echoed throughout the room.

I immediately was brought to tears. I looked over at Artem who was smiling from ear to ear looking down at me.

"Happy Birthday." He whispered.